What Makes You Different
by the fiery sage
Summary: Miley Cyrus is just your average senior at East Northumberland High. She knows there's more to life than the crazy high school drama. But with Nick Jonas suddenly taking an interest in her, will she get caught up in the drama herself? Niley/Jemi
1. Best Friends For Never

**_Hey guys! Ana here with a new story...Don't worry...I'll still be working on "Our Great Escape" but I just came up with the concept for this today and I'm seeing what I can come up with as I go. This story's a little...colorful...But hey...I'm fifteen...My mind's supposed to be colorful. Tell me what you think by reviewing :D._**

* * *

Chapter 1: Best Friends For Never

* * *

Miley stepped into the dark but familiar halls of East Northumberland High. She blew at her bangs at the stress of having to go to a land of morons and sex-obsessed demons. She was seventeen years old and going through a normal day of her senior year. She hasn't been able to do one thing since she's gotten to this place…meet a decent guy.

As she walked by the school's courtyard that stood by the Vesper River, the wind blew harshly against her hair. She sighed her brunette locks got easily messed up. She huffed and paced all the way to her locker.

She walked past Kyla Walker and Erica Wilde, two girls from her history class. They were only two reasons why she'd be anywhere but right there at the moment.

She had to pretend and forced herself to smile at Kyla. "Hey."

"Morning, Miley," Kyla said, smiling. Erica just gave her a look that said, _Why are you even talking to us, you pathetic loser?!_

Miley brushed her hair to the side. She was sick of her bangs all up on her face. She placed them on the side. _That's better…_

She stomped up the stairs to where her locker was. That's when the last person she wanted to see had noticed her…and smiled.

"Hey there, Cyrus," her "friend", Selena smirked, "Sorry to ask but I need you to do me a huge favor."

_You're not sorry…You expect me to pull shit off for your flat ass._ "What up?"

"I need you to help me pick out an outfit for Lynn's party tonight," Selena said, looking into the mirror in her locker. The normal-sized mirror didn't entirely reveal her gigantic stuck-up face.

"Me? I thought I didn't have any fashion sense," Miley said, rolling her eyes.

"Well, actually, your fashion sense improved a little…And Madison and Lauren are out of town anyways…So you're all that's left."

"Gee…That makes me feel special."

"Uh huh…So can you please help me, Miley? Please?" Selena tried to widen her brown eyes because she thought it made it easier for Miley not to refuse.

"Fine. Just stop giving me that look. It gives me the creeps," she said, sighing.

"No problem," Selena said, slamming her locker shut, "Tonight's the night I'm finally going to hook up with Nick…He won't be able to resist." She smiled smugly.

"Finally? Considering it's Nick…I thought you guys would've gotten together sophomore year…"

"Please, honey. Nick's just playing hard to get…Believe me, I'm not the only one whose been trying to get into his pants these past three years."

Miley cringed. "You're really gross."

Selena didn't even blink. "And you're a total prude. You're probably the only virgin in our senior class."

Miley responded to her "friend" coldly. "I'm not the only virgin at this school, who respects herself and isn't desperate to make herself feel good by being the biggest whore."

"Awww Miley…You think I'm a whore? That's…the sweetest thing you've ever said to me. It's actually a confidence booster." Selena didn't look phased at all. That pissed Miley off even more.

"Whatever floats your boat…" she said, beginning to walk away.

"Wait up a sec," Selena said, grabbing her wrist.

"What?" Miley glared at her.

"You behave yourself. Or else my mom will fire your dad from getting his chance to host the new music competition." She glared at her but her eyes were practically smiling, which made Miley cringe even more.

Miley's eyes widened. "Fine…"

"Okay," Selena said as she suddenly turned herself into her school character, the sweet, lovable, adorable, innocent (?!) Selena Gomez. "Meet me in the parking lot right after school. I'll be five minutes late…since I have business I need to attend to." She smiled, raising her eyebrows.

_Business, huh? When it comes to getting into a guy's pants, she does not waste time…How pathetic…_

A few hours later, Miley stepped into her AP English class. It was her second-to-last period. She sat in the middle of the crowd of desks and sat beside a lost-looking dark haired girl.

"Hey Miles," her friend Demi smiled, "How you holding up?"

Miley forced herself to smile but it turned out to be a weak smile. "Okay…So what's up?"

Demi frowned at her best friend. "What has she gotten you into now?"

"Oh, it's not the worst thing she's ever made me do…Just to help her pick out something to wear for Lynn the Lovemaker's party tonight."

"Shouldn't be too hard. Victoria's Secret lingerie will do…I mean, she always ends up in that by the end of the night…" Demi sighed.

Demi and Selena _used_ to be the best of friends…Until one summer after the eighth grade, Selena told Demi that she liked their neighborhood paperboy. They lived in the same block so it was fun for them to hang out at the time...

_Flashback:_

_Demi was reading her summer reading book on her front porch and she yawned. "Cripes, this has got to be the most boring book I've ever attempted to read!"_

_She didn't realize that the paperboy was chuckling and she put her book down to see him right in front of her._

"_Oh…You weren't supposed to see that…" Demi blushed._

_The paperboy laughed. "No prob…Hey…You're reading _The Shack_?"_

_Demi sighed. "Yeah…It's mandatory…Whatever that means…"_

"_You're going to East Northumberland?" _

"_Yeah…"_

"_I'm going there right now," he said, smiling._

"_Really?" Demi smiled, "What grade are you in?"_

"_It's going to be my senior year, actually…"_

"_Whoa!" Her mouth gaped right open. "You're…you're…"_

"_Old?" He raised his eyebrow at her._

"_I was gonna say…You seem too old to be doing this job."_

"_Nah…It's not my full-time job. I'm covering for my cousin Matt for two weeks till he gets back from vacation. My little bro is the right age…But he's too distracted with playing the guitar."_

_Demi laughed. "That's pretty cool. He plays guitar? Me, too." Her eyes brightened._

_He frowned because she was more focused on his so-called little brother than him. He decided to change the subject. "I'm Joe." He extended his hand out to her._

"_Demi," she said, shaking his hand._

"_You're always hanging with that girl who stares at me."_

"_Well, yeah. She's my best friend…But don't flatter yourself too much," Demi laughed._

"_Does she like me?"_

"_I don't think I should be the one to answer that. You should go up to her and ask." She couldn't understand what she was feeling. She felt…attracted?!…to him?_ Oh no_, she thought,_ this cannot be happening.

"_But I don't want to hurt her feelings."_

"_Why would you be-?"_

"_Because I don't like her that way…" He frowned, feeling bad._

_She looked at him in shock. How could anyone not like _Selena_?_ _She's the prettiest girl she's ever known and her best friend to leave it at that. "You're serious…"_

"_I'm sorry…How do you think I should tell her without making her feel bad?"_

"_You should just go up to her and tell her that you don't see her that way…but that you want to be friends?" Demi said, nervously._

"_I guess that's the best thing," he said, his eyes brightening up a little._

"_But…can I ask you something?" She motioned for him to sit next to her on the porch swing._

"_What's up?" He smiled, sitting next to her._

"_Why don't you like Selena? I know the age difference is…kinda huge…But you don't seem that shallow…"_

_He chuckled. "Shallow? Thanks…Actually, I don't like her because…I kinda like someone else…But I'm not really sure how to tell her…"_

_Demi sighed, pretending to be a worried best friend. Being sarcastic was her specialty. "Is she head cheerleader and you're on the bleachers?"_

"_Clever…" He smirked and said, "But no. She's pretty much clueless…"_

"_Huh…Isn't that something?" Demi laughed._

"_Yeah…I've seen her everyday all summer…But the thing is, she hasn't really seen me…" He looked intensely at fourteen year old Demi…It made her feel…older…But she couldn't understand this feeling…_

"_I don't get what you mean…" Demi said, eyes widening as she saw the way he looked at her._

"_Because you're the clueless one, you dummy," he said as inched closer to her and kissed her lightly on the lips. It was a short kiss but it constantly replayed in Demi's mind nights after that…_

"_Joe, I-" Demi began to say._

"_You little traitor…" She heard the icy words come out of her best friend's mouth. She saw that Selena was standing outside the front porch, disappointment and…revenge…seeping through her eyes._

"_Selena! I didn't-"_

"_This friendship is over! I hate you!" Selena said, tears in her eyes._

"_Sel! Wait!" Demi said, beginning to cry. The overflowing tears made her eyesight blurry._

"_Save it, slut!" A rush of anger poured out of Selena as she ran off, not looking back for one second. A new, yet evil form of confidence appeared with each step she took._

"_Demi…I'm so sorry…" Joe said, putting his hand on her shoulder._

_She immediately pulled away from his grasp. "I don't think we should talk anymore."_

"_But-" _

"_It's for the best, Joe. But…I'll be honest. You made me feel like…a girl…for the first time ever in my life and I really liked it…But if it includes hurting my best friend in the process…I can't do this!"_

_Joe was about to say something but he immediately shut his lips. "Okay." He knew that she was about to tell him to go home but he saved her the trouble and he dragged himself away from her house._

_After that, Demi constantly tried to call and visit Selena but…no dice. Selena was too stubborn to listen to her. It was then that freshman year started and Selena moved on, with her new crew of whores and bimbos. But deep inside, Demi knew, Selena was still hurt. She couldn't believe that her official ex-best friend wouldn't let her explain._

_End of flashback_

Miley said, "I don't know how you could've been friends with her…"

"That's because she was different Miley. And 5 seconds of doing something stupid really affected her…That stubborn bitch."

"I'm really sorry, Demi…" Miley whispered.

"It's okay…Because I learned that I can move on and make better friends." Demi smiled at Miley.

Miley retuned the smile but she knew that Demi was still hurting inside for losing her life-long best friend and seeing her becoming a total…Well, you can fill in the blank.

* * *

_**Pshh...Well, I thought I would start with this little preview...Then work my way up to the "drama". I'm not changing the characters' original names. Copyright disclaimer. I like the idea of high school drama...And making Selena evil is just so much fun for me. :D No offense to the Selena fans out there. ;D I hope you guys liked what I came up with. D:**_

_**Questions: What do you think will happen at Lynn's party? Will Demi and Selena ever reunite? Is Demi still thinking about Joe? What do you think is up with Miley?**_

_**Coming up: Lynn's party and Miley's encounter with a familiar stranger.**_


	2. Breathless

**_Haha...I was dying to put up another chapter...I have no idea what you guys will think of this one...So much for being colorful lmaoooo. It's the first Niley encounter woohoo! Please reviews. I really wanna know what you think! :D_**

* * *

Chapter 2: Breathless

* * *

_Well…Life's been kinda…crazy…with Selena Gomez controlling it. But I have my reasons why I let her keep pushing me around. It's all for my dad and the hope of his dying dreams to come back to life again…And it's always been my dream to take up a music career. Selena's mother is a TV executive for the popular music competition show: Don't Stop Believin'. My dad is going to be the host and this will attract record producers and big time celebrities to realize his talents. I can handle Selena…_

"Now…Miley, we're leaving in 20 minutes. Can you please help me get the curlers off?" Selena demanded. They were both at her luxurious apartment where she and her mother lived. Miley helped…not to say fought over…with what Selena would wear to the party tonight. They went with a classic choice in the end. It was a black dress that only Selena could make as slutty as possible.

"You got it," Miley said, as she walked over to Selena in her fancy director's chair in front of her make-up mirror. She took off Selena's curlers.

"It looks amazing," Selena said, smiling at herself with approval, "Now you can go get ready…"

"We're leaving in like…what? 10 minutes?!" Miley's eyes widened but this was to be expected…It was always like that. Selena would boss her around and let Miley do whatever she wants at the last minute.

"Not even 3 hours of primping can take that fugly look off your face," Selena said, giggling.

_That fucking…Forget it…What does it help anyway?_ "Wow, Sel…With those words, you'll go far in life."

"Ha ha nice…Since my mom's in control over your dad…You have to keep your nasty comebacks to yourself, huh?"

"Well, for once…you know something that doesn't have to do with sex…drugs…or parties…I applaud you," Miley said, smirking.

Selena laughed sarcastically. "Now you only have 9 minutes."

"Shit!" Miley said, running into the bathroom. _Why do I even have to go to this party? Oh yeah…I'm supposed to make Selena look good…It was impossible to make someone as trashy as her look good. _

She quickly took a shower, blow-dried her hair, and applied her make-up in 5 minutes record time. She ran out of the bathroom, finding Selena pissed at how fast she was and ran to her book bag. She found her purple cocktail dress and ran back into the bathroom to put it back on. She put on her black heels easily after that.

"Well, isn't this fantab?" Miley said smiling, making fun of Selena's friends Madison and Lauren. Fantabulous became their new word and Miley did NOT like it one bit…

"Let's go already, huh?" Selena scoffed at her. Miley bit her lip to stop herself from laughing.

When Selena and Miley stepped into the huge doors of the Lynn's mansion, girls immediately rushed up to Selena and gave her air-kisses.

Allison Iraheta's "Friday I'll Be Over You" was blasting through the super huge speakers that surrounded the dance floor. Miley saw a huge crowd of sweaty teenagers that were probably here for about 2 hours…Selena loved being fashionably…super late.

Because Selena completely forgot about her, Miley decided to move through the crowd and find a place where she could be alone. She decided to sneak away to the backyard. She walked past an intense make-out session and almost gagged before she walked out through the sliding door.

"Why the hell do I have to be here?" Miley sighed as she sat down on a chair. The music played by DJ was faint from outside and she was happy about that.

She found herself staring at the stars.

_Christ…I'm such a moron. Staring at the stars is so effin' typical…But what else can I do? I promised my dad I'd stay sober…At least I had that much control over her royal pain in the butt._

She wanted to run away…After sitting there for almost an hour and a half contemplating her future and listening to her iPod, Miley thought about ditching Selena and telling her that she almost passed out so she called her mom to come pick her up. _That's a good excuse._

"Oh, Nick!" She heard Selena shriek as the back door slid open.

"Hey…You're kinda hurting me…Lay off!" Miley heard Nick reply. Nick Jonas…The most sought-after guy in East Northumberland….Whenever she heard girls even mention his name, she automatically rolled her eyes. She never showed absolutely any interest in ever getting to know him. She knew what type of guy he was…He was the male version of Selena…or at least, that's how she saw it, anyways.

"Wha-" Miley jumped from her chair at the sound of their voices.

Selena giggled. "Miley? Is that you? What the fuhhh are you doing out here? The party don't start till you walk innnnn!"

It's official. She's completely wasted.

Miley rolled her eyes. "Umm, Nick, is it? Can you take your paws off of hers?"

Nick struggled, trying to get Selena off of him. She was practically getting ready to strip right then and there for the boy… "I'm trying…"

V-Factory's "She Bad" started playing. _Oh great…That's a confidence booster for Selena…_

"Let me try…" Miley sighed as she walked over to the "couple". Selena slapped her hand away.

"Nuh-uhhh, Mileeyyyyy…Nick's mine. There are plenty of desperate guys inside…Please leave us alone, kay honey?"

"Well…If that's what you want. I've got no control over you," Miley replied, easily backing away. _Maybe she'll get knocked up…And finally realize her mistakes._

"Hey…" Nick's face was finally revealed and his eyes finally met Miley's. Nick froze for the moment, taking in the sight of her. She just stood there, arms crossed, expecting him to say something stupid.

"Well?"

"I'm Nick." He said, breathless.

"Like I don't know who you are…I'm Miley…" She sighed.

"Umm, what are you doing out here all by yourself?" He managed to ask, trying to make conversation with the beautiful girl.

"I hate parties. In fact, this is the last place I want to be in…And yet, here I am…"

Nick chuckled, completely ignoring Selena. Which wasn't a problem…Since she was completely spaced out and giggling like an idiot.

She slurred. "Come on…We need to…Upstairs…You know…want me." She smiled up at him.

Nick rolled his eyes. _Yeah…Like I'm ever gonna pull that off with any girl…_

"What are you waiting for? She's thrilled. She couldn't shut up about getting together with you…"

"Yeah…that's not gonna happen…"

Miley laughed bitterly. "Wow, that's a shock. Trying to fool me into thinking you're a gentleman. Spare me."

"You don't even know me," Nick said. He didn't glare at her but his eyes practically burned at hers.

"Well, I guess that's true…So what _are_ you going to do with her?"

"Nothing actually…I'm just going to let her hang here like a monkey. It's actually been kinda funny…"

Miley laughed, to her own surprise. "She's gonna be so pissed when she finds out you didn't…"

"Oh, don't worry about that…I'll make her think that we did," Nick said, smiling.

"And how are you going to do that?" She was interested in listening to what he was going to say.

"Follow me," Nick said.

The three of them, well Miley and Nick with Selena the sock puppet dangling from Nick's shoulders, walked up the stairs. Many kids were giggling and whispering…But they'd probably forget everything tomorrow. That's how it always worked, didn't it?

Nick immediately put Selena on the bed and he sat by her.

"Hey there, cutie…" He whispered into her ear, smiling at Miley.

Miley raised an eyebrow. She was about to speak but Nick shushed her.

"Want me to sing you a song…before we…you know…" Nick smirked at her.

Selena giggled and said this in response. "Mmm-hmm."

"You sing?" Miley mouthed at him as she watched him clear his throat.

He smiled sincerely at her and for the first time ever, Miley's heart skipped a beat.

(A/N: Here's "Give Love A Try" by the Jonas Brothers. Yeah, I'm crazy-obsessed over this song…It seems pretty nice and soothing.)

As he started singing to Selena, Miley couldn't help but be impressed.

_Damn…he's got a good voice…What a charmer…_

"_You might think that I'm a fool…for falling over you."_ He sang flawlessly.

As he continued the song, he made constant glances at Miley.

"_Do you know that I'm on your side? Give love a try, one more time…"_

Selena was giggling like an idiot when he sang but her laughter began to subside as she started falling asleep. And by the end of the song, she was knocked out.

"You're pretty good," Miley smiled, shaking her head. _Unbelievable. Where have I heard that voice before? So familiar…Eh, I'll figure it out later._

"Thanks," Nick replied, "Did you like it?"

"Yeah…Surprisingly, it wasn't cheesy." Miley laughed.

"Those are the kind of opinions I should get more of," he answered back, "Now…how can I make her think we 'did it', you may ask?"

"Yeah…how are you going to?"

"You can pull her dress down a little…And make her hair all messy…"

"I believe that ship has already set sail my friend," Miley said.

"Then, I guess that's that…" Nick sighed in relief.

"You've gotta give her a goodbye kiss, master," she said, rolling her eyes, "That way, she'll believe something happened.

He did as he was told and he walked over to Selena and kissed her on the forehead. Selena's eyes flickered open.

"Hey baby. Tonight was…unforgettable," Nick said, smiling like the devil's child.

Miley had to keep herself from laughing.

"You're leaving? Awww…" Selena whined.

"Yeah…But I'll see you later, okay?" Nick said as he brushed Selena's messed up curls to make it seem more realistic.

She smiled at him. "I can't say no to you…"

Selena went back fast asleep. Miley and Nick almost died of laughter with pulling off their little stunt. They immediately escaped through the backyard and hopped the fence.

"That was quite…interesting," Miley said, hitting him playfully on the arm.

"Eh, it's what I deal with whenever I get to these parties. My brothers taught it to me."

"So wait…You've never…"

"Nope. I've done other things…But not that…Gets you can say I'm kind of a wuss…" Nick chuckled.

"Wow, that's incredible." Miley laughed.

"Why are you so shocked?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"I just thought you were like everyone else is all…" She simply stated.

"Yeah, right…" Nick rolled his eyes.

"So I guess I was wrong about you…I guess, anyway."

"That's good to know. I love proving people wrong…"

"Another thing that I was just dying to know about smoking hot Nick Jonas!"

He laughed his ass off when she blurted it out so confidently.

"So can I walk you home?" He smiled at her.

"Nah…It's fine…I'm a grown woman."

"But it's way past 1...So I should…"

"You can walk me halfway there. Is that better?" Miley stubbornly said.

He chuckled. "Fine with me."

* * *

**_Well...that was fascinating? I hope you guys aren't like totally saying "What the efff is this?" I just can't think of Nick as a total man-whore. I love how stubborn I make Miley. It makes her all the more adorable. :D_**

**_Questions: Will Selena fall for Niley's trick? What does Miley feel for Nick? What's Nick's next move going to be?_**

**_Coming up: Miley and Nick grow closer and the paperboy returns..._**


	3. Sparks Fly When You And I Collide

_**Hey guys...Sorry for being MIA for so long...School's been incredibly a big pain in my butt...But there's some good news, I got some inspiration to write the next chapter in this interesting story...I hope you guys enjoy it. Please leave reviews and tell me what you think. It means a lot. Peace. Love. Anaaaaa(: Bring on some Jemi action. Hehe ;O**_

* * *

Chapter 3: Sparks Fly When You & I Collide

* * *

"Dems, open the damn door!" Demi's older sister, Dallas, was anxiously knocking at the door to her bedroom.

"Mmm…It's Saturday. Do I ever get a break?" She moaned as she put a pillow over her face, realizing how much sunlight there was behind the silver blinds of her window.

"Now is that a way to say hey…I've come from across the country to deal with this crap? No 'Hey sis! I missed you! Can I get you anything?'"

She sighed at hearing the constant nagging of her older sister. But then again, she did miss having Dallas at home…She finally started getting up and walked to open the door.

"Hey, Dallas." Demi smiled as she hugged her sister.

"Hey, kiddo. How's everything here going?" Dallas laughed, as she tried to smooth Demi's bed head hair.

"Same old…Same old…I wanna move to New York with you, Tex," Demi said, sighing miserably.

"I'd like that, too…But what about your life here?"

"I have Miley but she's planning on going to Princeton next year and I'm dying to go to Julliard. So…if I get accepted, it'd only make sense to live with you, right?"

"Wow…Looks like you've got your whole life planned out," Dallas said, smiling, "I'll talk to Mom about it and we'll see."

Demi was about to squeal with excitement but Dallas put her finger on Demi's lips.

"Julliard would be stupid if they didn't accept you," Dallas said, looking serious at Demi.

"I hope so…It's my dream," she said, smiling weakly at her sister.

Demi has been playing guitar and piano for as long as she could remember. Ever since her friendship with Selena ended, she got more in touch with her musical side and she's improved so much over the years. Sometimes, though it made her feel like smacking herself right then and there, she was somehow grateful that Selena wasn't her best friend anymore. But she still felt emptiness inside of her…even after writing enough songs for an album.

After spending some time with her sisters, Dallas and Madison, Demi decided to step out of the house and….well, she didn't really know where she was going. She just wanted to be in constant motion.

She walked past the typical suburbs on American life and she noticed that a little alley behind two typical houses led to what seemed like a endless abyss. Demi, being nothing at all but curious, decided to walk into it. Without thinking of the possibilities of what could happen if she entered, a) psychopath killer waiting for his or her next victim b) bodies already killed by said killer or c) a killer hiding spot, in other words awesome, she walked to the end of the alley to find a broken door toward the end. Without giving it a second thought, she opened it and saw a huge forest appear before her eyes.

"Oh…This leads to Haven Avenue…I should've known…I could've gone through this way the whole time…" Demi whispered to herself.

She wondered what part of the park she was in right now. Her prayers being answered, she saw the gigantic lake as she walked into the interior of the forest. Her eyes widened at how something that was so close to home that she would never get tired of was right there for her. Running past the trees to get a closer look, she saw the Sun being reflected upon the surface of the lake. She wanted to jump in to the water so badly.

"Enjoying the view?" A voice appeared out of nowhere.

Demi completely froze and began looking around everywhere to find sight of the maniac. "Please don't kill me! I don't deserve it. Whatever issues you had in your childhood and/or with your family…Just don't take it out on me, ya got it?!"

"Whoa…No need to get defensive. Just so happens you found my favorite hiding spot." Suddenly, the boy made his appearance. He walked out of hiding behind a tree. Demi couldn't believe her eyes.

"No way…" She whispered, practically only loud enough for herself to hear.

"Ditto…" The boy…who turned out to be a young man's eyes widened as he recognized the stunned brunette.

"J-Joe?!" Demi managed to sputter out of her mouth.

It was Joe Jonas…The random paperboy that appeared in her life almost 4 years ago and then suddenly disappeared. She admitted after he kissed her then, she did, indeed, have a crush on him. But at the time, she never told her then-best friend, Selena Gomez, since she was the one who made it pretty clear that she liked him.

"Hey…It's been a while…" He looked Demi up and down, which made her turn red and…insecure, which she couldn't help but feel.

"Well, yeah. It most certainly has…" She put her hand on the back of her head to smooth out her curls.

"You look great," Joe said, managing to smile for the first time.

She smiled a little. "You too."

The awkward silence…They knew that it was bound to happen…But the intense silence gave Demi a chance to look at Joe. Of course, she didn't spend all of her single-status high school years thinking _Oh dearest Joe, I will wait for you forever…Even after the biggest disasters have occurred! My heart burns for you every night that I lie in bed._ On the contrary, she got out more and had to deal with losing her best friend, who turned out to be the dumbest skank-bitch that ever walked the planet…Demi knew that she overestimated her. Sometimes when she lay in bed throughout all these years, she would think about Joe but not enough to ever go search for him. She knew Matt, Joe's cousin and formerly known as the original paperboy, but she never chose to ask for him and he never mentioned him. So here she was…Seeing him after so long and she felt her heart racing. Even though she knew that she wasn't in love with him.

"So how have you been? You still going to East Northumberland?"

"I've been…good. Really…And uh-huh…" Demi said, knowing that she sounded like a totally helpless idiot. But Joe couldn't help but find it attractive.

"I'm glad to see that the thirteen-year-old in you still lives," he said, chuckling.

"Are you saying that you would date a thirteen-year-old?" She raised an eyebrow as she smiled smugly.

He immediately grew silent but said, "Nope…But I must admit the 16-year old me was kind of into it…"

"Wow…You really were the pedophile…"

"No I wasn't!"

"But you kissed me…And what does that prove?"

"That I was kinda interested…" He shoved his hands in the pockets of his hoodie. His dark hair wasn't the way it used to be…But she recognized his bright brown eyes in an instant. His curls were nowhere to be found since it was short…But he looked down. And she knew he looked cuter than ever…

Demi blushed. "But…It just didn't make sense. You didn't know me. I didn't know you."

"But…you felt something too, didn't you?" He said, as if he rehearsed it in case anytime during these four years, he would run into her again.

She couldn't deny it. "Yeah…But I was thirteen! Girls at that age are kinda reckless…And they don't take anything seriously! They're in frickin' La La Land!"

He laughed at her natural insanity. "But I liked you anyway…I was a 14-year-old stuck in 16-year-old's body after all…"

"Hmm…Well, then maybe you weren't a pedophile after all," she said, smiling.

"Guess not…" He smiled as he moved closer to her.

"Not so fast, buddy…I don't even know your last name. In fact, I didn't know anything about you besides the fact that you like younger girls, you were the paperboy's substitute, and you were insanely attracted to _me_. She made the third option sound like it was completely unbelievable.

"But there's one minor detail you forgot," he said as he inched even closer.

"And what would that be?"

"That I like you now," he said as he was the closest he could be to her, which was directly being in front of her.

She looked up at him in wonder. What things he could show her that she never even knew about... She knew Joe had an interesting story. That's what it said in his eyes, anyway.

"Oh, really? Well, how about getting to know the real me, then?" She smiled as she uneasily backed away from his addictive scent. _He smells so damn good!_

"I'd like that," he said, "And while we're working on that, you must be dying to know about me." He led her to walk along the lake. It was an offer she couldn't refuse. They walked side-by-side. And sometimes they switched roles of being follower and leader.

"Oh yeah…I've been thinking about you every night since I told you to leave me alone that one summer…" She made it sound like it was a complete lie…But was it, really?

He went along with the joke. "Oh yeah…Every time I tried to hook up with some chick, your face popped into my head."

She cringed as he said the words "hook up". She absolutely hated those words. But she managed to crack a smile. "I see it wasn't too hard for you to find someone new…"

He frowned. "I'm a guy…What did you expect?"

"I expected you to have impregnated at least 3.2% of the entire tri-state area…That's what I expected."

He managed to suppress his laughter. "I see you're not completely pure. You're pretty colorful, Demi…And I like it."

"I'm glad that you accept my colorfulness and I'm glad to know that you're not a man-whore…Or are you?"

"I swear I'm not," he smiled at her sincerely.

"Do you swear on my sacred guitar of awesomeness?" She smiled as she walked ahead of him, impatient for an answer.

He smiled as she gracefully walked ahead of him and he ran to catch up with her. "Oh yeah…I remembered that you played the guitar. How's that going for you?"

"You remembered?" She asked, smiling and he nodded.

"There wasn't much to remember," he said, smirking.

"Right…" She said and continued, "I play the piano, too…And I…sing…kinda."

His eyes widened with fascination. "Really? That's amazing."

She smiled a little. "Yeah…I'm applying to Julliard…I really hope I get in."

"I know you will," he said, as he put a hand on her shoulder, making them both stop walking.

"How do you even know? You've never heard me play," she said, laughing.

"I'd like to hear you sometime…I've been learning the guitar in my spare time…And I could use some pointers from Miss Julliard-bound." He smiled irresistibly at her.

She flashed him a smile. "That would be nice…Do you wanna?"

"Definitely," he said, without hesitation.

She looked away from him and smiled. _He wants to hang out with me…Somebody pinch me…_

"So you where do you wanna meet?" She asked to break, yet again, another awkward silence.

"How about right here? It's an inspiring place, wouldn't you say?" He said, trying to make her smile even wider.

"Yeah…It sounds like a pretty good idea." She smiled as they met the end of the path and began to walk back. Back to the real world.

* * *

**_I know this sounds totally out of the blue...But I love age-difference relationships...They're kinda forbidden...And adorable. Haha xD. How would I even know that? Anyways...I like the random meeting that Demi made with Joe. I think they're really cute...And I'm gonna have an interesting time figuring out their stories. Oh lovely...I hope you guys liked it and keep on supporting me. :D_**

**_Questions: What kind of songs will Jemi practice? And will this lead to an all-out make-out session? And what about Niley?! Does anyone even have hope for Selena Ho-mez?_**

_**Coming up: Miley and Nick get to know each other...Selena's bound to find out sooner or later...**_


	4. Starry Eyed Surprise

**_Hey guys! Ariana here (:. I'm back with a new chapter of this colorful drama. I'm such a hopeless romantic that sometimes people call me "cute". It's kinda disturbing. Well, anyways, here's more Niley-ness. I think I'm on a roll with them. As you can see, Nick's supposed to be Mr. Popularity and Miley's like the Cinderella in this story, except that her family isn't evil and Selena is the evil stepmother...I hope you guys enjoy this and reviews please! They would mean so much to me._**

**Chapter 4: Starry-Eyed Surprise**

"I think you're kind of…adorable," Nick said, smiling at Miley.

She felt her heart skip a beat. She didn't want to show him how nervous she was. "I guess you are too…"

He smiled at her and kissed her on the cheek but she knew him. He wanted more that just a simple kiss on the cheek.

She leaned into him and it was all thunder and lightning after that.

That's when she woke up. "Whoa!" She panicked a little and then took a couple of deep breaths. "What the f-"

She combed her fingers through her hair to calm herself down. She sighed. _Just a dream…Thank God._

She walked over to her bookshelf and grabbed a silver book. It was obviously her diary. She jumped back on her bed and started writing.

_Dear Diary,_

_Yesterday…didn't turn out so terrible after all. Okay…technically it was earlier today but not my point. I actually talked to that Nick guy and he wasn't as bad as I thought. Does that mean that I see him in a whole new light? ……Fat chance._

"Miley, you promised you'd take me to see the new Naomi Wyoming movie today. Now let's get a move-on!" Her little sister, Noah, was jumping up and down on her bed.

Miley was practically awake. She yawned a little and said, "Oh yeah…No worries, Noah. Let me get ready and then we're on our way."

She closed her diary and hid it in a place where no would ever look which was in her sock drawer. Her underwear drawer would've been too obvious.

She sighed, really wanting to go back to bed. She's been working on college applications and dealing with her AP (or what she would prefer as Advanced Procrastination) classes. She could've taken it easy this year since it was her senior year but…she wanted her college apps to look as great as she could possibly make them. She was such an overachiever that it even annoyed herself more than everyone else around her.

Miley yawned and then heard her cell phone vibrate on her desk. It was from Nick. The interesting boy gave her his number yesterday so they could talk more.

_Last Night: Miley's POV_

"_Hey…Can I give you my number? I really wanna get to know you," Nick said as he actually walked me all the way home. He didn't really trust me with walking home by myself. Men…Boys…Whatever the fuck guys like him were…_

"_Me as in the actual person within me…Like my soul…Or the me that gets out of my pants…skirt…undies…whatever I'm wearing as bottoms..."_

_Nick raised an eyebrow at me and said, "Why would you even ask that?"_

"_Well…Because I've heard things. I was hoping that you'd prove me wrong."_

_Nick rolled his eyes. "Since you're judging me…Then, I can say that I think you're a know-it-all and you think you're better than me."_

_I smirked. "Well, I always thought that __you__ thought you were above me."_

"_I never thought that because I never knew who you were."_

"_In other words, you're too self-absorbed to have ever known that I've existed," I replied._

_Nick stared at me in disbelief. "What the hell?"_

_I stopped myself, knowing I was taking things a little too far…Especially in less than 15 minutes…What came over me? I guess it was the fact that I always assumed that he was just like Selena and the other popular kids at school. I know it sounds a little clichéd but…I couldn't help thinking that way. No one could be that attractive and genuinely cool._

_Wait…Attractive? What was I thinking? I wanted to hit myself in the head so badly but then Nick would've thought that I lost my mind…More so than I already have._

_I shook my head. "Sorry…I went too far with that joke…I didn't mean it." I decided that he would be too disappointed in me and I kept on walking, alone._

"_Oh, you are not walking home alone," Nick replied, apparently forgetting my insult that I wasn't too sure could be true._

"_It's okay, Nick," I said, "You shouldn't even be here with me right now."_

"…_Miley, you can't just judge me like that. I'm sorry but since when was it my obligation to know that you existed?"_

"_It never was actually…Sorry, it's just that your people piss me off. Among them being Selena."_

_His eyebrows narrowed. "My people?" He sighed and rubbed the back of his head which I kind of thought was cute…I really needed to give myself a mental slap… "And you hang out with her, don't you? So wouldn't you be 'one of us'?"_

"_Look…I don't hang out with her to get the perks of being popular? I have to give in to whatever she says because if I don't, she'll-" I realized that I'd said too much already so I stopped myself._

_Nick stood there, wide-eyed at how emotional I was getting. As if I showed anyone I was truly feeling. I never wanted anyone to know what I was feeling. I've been told that it's hard to know what I'm feeling, unless you know me pretty well._

_I continued. "I…should get going." I wanted to run off so fast and then suddenly, I noticed that clouds began to cover the night sky and the moon kept appearing and disappearing. I also heard the quiet rumbling of what was soon to be storm._

"_Miley," Nick simply called out to me._

"_What is it? We can't even have a casual conversation without getting into a fight? We're the worst non-couple in the universe," I said._

"_I don't know you well enough so you can feel comfortable about telling me what problems you have with…" He cringed. "Selena…But I want you to trust me because I want to trust you, too."_

"_So you really do want to get to know me? No games?" I asked, starting to truly believe in him when his eyes shimmered with pure sincerity._

"_Promise. I want to have a friend who doesn't like…"_

_I raised an eyebrow at him._

"_Parties…" He chuckled and then continued, "Since I'm not a big fan of parties myself…But "my people", as you like to call them, expect me to be there."_

_I revealed a little smile because he was being honest and maybe I could trust him. "Fine. Do you want my number?"_

_His eyes were hopeful and he smiled a little. He handed me his phone so I could put it in and I dialed it so my phone could get his number. I saved his number into mine and I really hoped that I wasn't making a huge mistake. But knowing my instincts, I'm pretty sure I wasn't. _

"_Now, can we get me home now? It's about to pour soon and I don't want you getting wet." I stated as he just smiled stupidly at me. It was as if he liked me or something. Please._

"_No prob. My brother's back in town and I think he can pick me up from Haven Avenue. There's a roof under there so you don't need to worry." Nick replied as he got his phone out to call his brother and ask him for a ride._

"_Okay then," I said as I realized that we finally reached my house, "Well, this is me. I guess I'll be hearing from you soon or maybe not." I laughed._

"_Oh, you will be," Nick smiled as I walked up the steps that led to my door. He began making his way to the park that was a few blocks away from here._

"_Hey!" I said._

_He turned around and gave me a questioning look._

"_Thanks…for walking me home," I said, stubbornly but still smiling._

_He smiled at me and kept on walking. The minute I got inside my house was when I suddenly realized that I was really exhausted and there was another feeling that I was NOT willing to admit to anyone. My heart was beating like crazy and I could already tell that it was not a good sign._

_End of Flashback and Miley's POV_

Miley took a deep breath and was kind of anticipating that it wouldn't be Nick and at the same time, that it was. It turned out to be him.

**-**_**morning, sunshine, heh :D. did you sleep with that raging thunderstorm last night? -Nick**_

_**-morning, moonlight :P yay we're coming up with nicknames now…actually, I slept like a baby. but I'm still exhausted. -Miley**_

_**-moonlight, huh? I like that, I guess. yeah, me too…so I was wondering…if you were busy today? -Nick**_

Miley froze for a second and immediately felt sweat begin to crawl through her neck. She wasn't sure if she wanted to go out with Nick. Even if they were just friends. That was just asking for trouble. Especially from Selena. And since she had her little spies everywhere, there was no doubt that they'd find out about her little boy toy being with her. Plus, she began to smile, she had to take Noah out today. She promised and of course, she could so get out of having plans with Nick.

"Hey, Miles!" She heard her mom out the door. "Change of plans. My meeting got re-scheduled to tomorrow. So it turns out I can take Noah today. You're still welcome to tag along but you must want to have other plans."

_Well, shit. Hell. Fu-. What am I going to do? I wanted to see Nick…But how could I do that without being found out? _

"Yeah, mom…I kinda might have plans with someone." She said then realized that her mother would be asking her question. Whoopee…

Her mom raised an eyebrow. Now she knew who she got it from… "With who?" Then, she began to smirk and slightly pretended to be one of those overly-excited moms. "Oh, is it a boy? Oh my my my…Who is he?"

"This kid named Nick Jonas," Miley replied like it was no big deal.

"Denise's son?" Her mom's eyes widened.

"You know his mom?" She asked, cautiously.

"Yup. We're planning the annual charity masquerade ball together," she smiled and then realized that her daughter looked freaked. "Oh, Miley! I'm not gonna say anything at all to her."

Miley's eyes gave her a silent thank you. "Plus, it's not a date. We're just gonna hang out, I guess."

That's when she realized that she still needed to reply to him. She wanted to cut to the chase.

-_**nope, I'm free. did you have something in mind? -Miley**_

_**-wow, I really thought you were going to turn me down lmaoooo. Okay, I was thinking we'd go and see Cartel in concert. My brother Kevin came through and got me good seats. -Nick**_

_**-Cartel?! I freakin' love them! :D I want to come. **_

_**-Okay. I'll pick you up at 7. =)**_

She felt butterflies within her stomach. She couldn't tell if it was just her nerves or her guilt…Or if it was something else entirely…What had she gotten herself into?

"Miley? So is it a date?" Her mom asked. Miley almost forgot that she was in the room.

She blinked to snap herself out of it. "I guess it is or it can be two friends going to a concert. Either way, I'm going to see one of my favorite bands so I'm psyched!"

Miley's brothers, Braison and Trace, came in.

Braison was the first to speak. "Hey Trace…Miley's going on a date with the hottest guy in Haven Avenue!" He made it sound like he sounded like a girl and oddly enough, he was good at it. But since it was Braison…Miley wasn't surprised at his annoyance.

Trace chuckled. He was visiting for the weekend from university. "I'd say it was about time," he said, smirking.

Miley rolled her eyes. "Don't you guys have somewhere else to be?" Her mom simply laughed at the three of them.

"We just wanna be here for your special moment," Braison said while batting his eyelashes.

"Yup," Trace smiled.

"You guys are making something out of what's really nothing," Miley said, hurting herself as she stated that. But was it like that, really? She sighed

"Don't listen to them, Miles. Deep down they're just happy for you," her mom said, giving her reassurance, "Just go have so fun tonight."

Braison was making kissy faces and Trace hit him roughly on the arm so he stopped.

"Thank you," Miley said to Trace and he smiled. Trace always knew when to tone it down.

Miley yawned and rubbed her eyes a little because she still felt exhausted. It wasn't really because of last night but because of Selena's constant nagging and giving into her demands. It took so much of her willpower not to kick Selena's perky little butt and completely forget about her. She couldn't because Selena had power over her. And that just sucked.

Miley gazed at her reflection in the mirror and made sure that she looked…Wait, she didn't want to make it seem like she was trying to impress Nick. She immediately rolled her eyes. She finished curling her hair and flattened out her already wrinkled outfit. She wore a rose pink top with a black vest over it to give it the rocker appeal. She put on a pair of ripped blue jeans and her favorite cowboy boots over them. She made sure her makeup didn't make her look like a…well, like Selena. She applied some lip gloss over her lips but not enough for it to be too noticeable.

She heard her mom call from downstairs. "Miles! Someone's at the door!" She loved that her mother never attempted to embarrass her. But the night was still young…

"Coming!" Miley replied as she grabbed her LeSportsac purse and made sure her phone and camera were in it.

She took her time coming down the stairs. She was lucky that she reminded herself that she shouldn't get too excited over hanging out with Nick.

She sighed, managing to maintain her cool and opened the door. She raised an eyebrow at Nick who was smiling even before the door opened. He wore a black long sleeved shirt with a cool-looking red tie over it and black slacks. He wore gray sneakers along with that.

"Hey," Miley said, "Are you ready to hit the road?"

"Sure. Let's go," Nick replied while he smoothed out his head of curls.

"Be back soon, mom!" Miley shouted as she closed the door and she followed Nick to his car. It was a 2009 Dodge Challenger. It was one of the coolest cars she'd ever laid her eyes on.

"Nice car," Miley said, with widened eyes.

Nick revealed a cocky smile. "Thanks."

Miley hopped into the passenger seat while Nick was turning on the ignition. They drove off in silence.

On the way, Miley was avoiding making eye contact with Nick while he was playing around with his radio to find a good song. Aerosmith's "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing" was blasting through the speakers.

"You gotta thank your brother Kevin for the tickets," Miley blurted. She was trying to figure out what to say to the guy. She was confused. She has never really had any experience with guys. Her brothers didn't really count because they didn't have the ability to make her heart beat like crazy.

Nick turned to her and smiled. "You're nervous."

"That must be good news for you," Miley replied stubbornly.

Nick chuckled. "Kevin works for a record company and he's been helping discover good bands lately. You should listen to my iPod sometime. Lots of his new bands are on it. They're really good."

"That sounds like a pretty wicked good job," Miley said, interested, "Hey, do you think he could listen to some of my friend's demos. She's awesome but she hasn't shared her music with the world yet…"

Nick said, "Really? Maybe I can talk to him. Who's this friend of yours?"

"Demi. Demi Lovato," she answered.

"Where have I heard that name before? Oh yeah, my brother couldn't shut up about some girl named Demi…Maybe they're two different girls."

"How many brothers do you have?" Miley laughed.

"I have three. There's Kevin, Joe, and Frankie," Nick said.

"I have 4 brothers and sisters. There's Trace, Brandi, Braison, and Noah," Miley said, breathless.

"Wow, that's a lot," he said, "Do you guys all live together?"

"Trace and Brandi are off in college," she said, "And your brothers?"

"Kevin's working at being a major record producer while taking some college classes. Joe's been going to school too…but he wants to make his own band someday. Frankie's still pretty young…He's 9 so he hasn't been up to much."

'You guys are pretty musical," Miley said, "Kinda like mine."

"That's pretty cool," Nick said, "What about you Miley? Tell me about you."

_That's kinda what I've been trying to avoid, Mr. Pretty Boy…_ "Well, I want to go to Princeton. It's been my life's dream. But I've kind of always been into music since my family's in the music business. My taste in music is really strange but I don't care what other people think. In general, I don't care about what other people think," she said, thinking then saying exactly what was on her mind.

"Princeton, huh? Then you must be pretty smart," Nick said, "Do you play any instruments?"

"I play guitar and piano but I'm not the type who's able to play a random song that I just created in my head like some brilliant masterminds."

"I never knew someone like that existed," Nick said, "Have you ever met someone like that?"

Miley thought a little and then she easily remembered. How could she forget? "Yeah…There was this one summer like…3 years ago where I heard this boy playing his guitar like a pro. It was like the music was pouring through his fingers. It was incredible. And his voice…It was really sweet, and smooth like velvet…"

Nick hesitated a little and then said, "What summer camp did you go to?"

"Camp Falling Stars," Miley said, thinking, "I miss that place a lot. I've been going there as a camp counselor. You know, I'd never admit this to anyone but part of me really wished every summer since then that…I would see him again." She smiled at Nick, happy that she was actually being honest with him. She felt that she could trust him a little more now.

He felt his heart skip a beat as Miley continued speaking. _Is she talking about me?_ "I went to camp there, too…And I used to play my guitar by the lake after dinner. You know, before we went to bonfires by the beach and made s'mores."

Miley's eyes widened. "No way…That was you?"

Nick nodded, sure of it. Who else could it have been, anyway?

"No wonder! When you sang last night, it seemed so familiar," Miley said, shocked at the discovery.

"I didn't go back to camp after sophomore year ended, though. That would explain why you never saw me again," he replied, kinda disappointed that he let her down. Even if her didn't know her back then, part of him really wished that he could turn back time.

"Wow, that's pretty cool. You're like…a familiar stranger! Someone I felt like I knew but never actually met," Miley said, laughing but then she stopped herself. She thought she was kind of acting dumb.

"So now you'll treat me better that you know I'm that guy from 3 years ago?" Nick asked, hopeful.

Miley turned to him and Nick focused on driving. She simply said, "Fat chance." She erupted into laughter and Nick couldn't help himself but laugh along.

"All right, ladies and gentlemen, I'm about to take you guys back a couple of year. You guys probably all remember this song," Cartel's lead singer, Will, shouted into the microphone so the screaming fans were able to hear.

Nick and Miley had front row seats to the concert, thanks to Kevin. They were having a lot of fun. They found something they had in common. They knew all of Cartel's songs and challenged each other to see who knew more songs and who wouldn't mess up the lyrics. They kept laughing to the point that they started hugging each other.

When the lead singer finished speaking, Cartel's old song "Honestly" started playing. Everyone went insane. Nick and Miley, along with the rest of the crowd, kept jumping up and down and singing at the top of their lungs.

"You guys have been a beautiful audience! So long, Haven Avenue! We love you!" Will screamed at the audience and the whole band was leaving the stage.

As everybody was exiting, Nick took hold of Miley's hand so she wouldn't get lost in the crowd. She didn't seem to mind at all.

Once they made their way to the parking lot, they could finally hear each other's voices and began talking about how amazing that concert was and how much fun they had.

"That was so amazing," Miley said, out of breath, "I want to rewind and do it again!"

Nick said, "I don't think you have the energy to even get to the care, Miles," Nick said, speaking her nickname for the first time.

"I say, Nicholas, that you are ridiculous," Miley giggled, "Race you to the car!" She ran straight ahead, leaving Nick in the dust. He ran as fast as he could and easily caught up to her. He hugged her by the waist and they both smiled at each other.

"Let me go!" Miley laughed, "I still have to beat you."

"Fat chance," Nick smirked as he carried her to the car.

They basically laughed and listened to music along the way. They found that they had the same taste in music. They sang along together to old '80s songs like "September" and they even sang to Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me".

When they pulled up to Miley's house, Nick got out of the car and came to the passenger side to open Miley's door.

"Hey," Miley said as she was making her way to her door.

"What is it?" Nick asked.

"I had fun," Miley said, smiling brilliantly, "Thank you."

He wanted to hug her again like they did at the concert. But it seems like the excitement started to wear off on Miley that she had gained her common sense. It didn't seem like she was going to wrap her arms around him again anytime soon.

"I'm glad you did. Me, too," Nick said, forcing himself to smile.

She walked back over to him and kissed lightly on the lips. She let go immediately and ran back into her house, leaving Nick breathless yet again.


End file.
